The Girl from Westlor
by jennerlily
Summary: Merlin and Arthur find a girl in the forest and bring her back to Camelot. As time goes by she and Merlin grow close, but someone from her past is out to get revenge and poses a threat to the kingdom.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fan fic ever! I hope you enjoy. The rating will be for later chapters.

Arthur swung off his horse and the instant his feet touched the ground he began to berate Merlin, "I cannot believe we are lost. This is Camelot! I am the future King of Camelot! How is this possible?"

"Well Sire, I wouldn't be too hard on yourself. I'm sure we'll eventually find our way."

"No, you'll eventually find our way. Go climb that tree and tell me what you see. Maybe then we will finally know where the hell we are."

"Why do I have to climb the tree? Wouldn't it be easier if you did it yourself? Then you wouldn't have to rely on my description."

"Merlin. Climb the tree. You don't want me risking my royal neck in order to get us out of a mess that is your doing, right?"

"No, of course not." Merlin mumbled as he began his ascent.

The truth was, the mess was both of their faults. Merlin had forgotten to pack the map after their last night at the inn, but Arthur and his ridiculous pride had refused to stop for directions, and now they had been missing from Camelot for nearly a week. Their emergency food supply was almost exhausted and both of their tempers were extremely short.

Merlin reached the top of the tree, "What am I supposed to be looking for?"

"Well, let's see," Arthur sarcastically pondered, "Oh I don't know, maybe any recognizable landmarks that will tell us which way to go!"

"Honestly, everything looks the same. All I see are trees and mountains. There's a lake to our right, but it's about ten miles away and I couldn't tell you if it was Eastlor or Westlor."

"Well that is no help at all. If it's Eastlor we are heading in the right direction, but if it's Westlor we're probably not in Camelot anymore. That would explain why I don't recognize these woods…"

"Wait! What is that?"

Arthur looked up to see what Merlin was excited about and noticed that Merlin was not looking off into the distance, but staring very intently at the ground, twenty feet below. Arthur drew out his sword, "What? What do you see?"

Merlin quickly climbed down. "There's a girl over there. She's lying on the ground and looks really ill."

"Oh, where?"

"No Sire. Let me go first, it may be a trap."

Arthur laughed, "Perhaps, but I don't think you'd be able to stop anyone if they really wanted to kill me."

"Well, you can't be too careful," Merlin replied. He walked over to where he had seen the young woman in a dirty, torn muslin dress. As he approached he noticed a weird rash covering half of her face.

"Arthur, don't come any closer, she has the red death."

**If this were a real Merlin episode this is the point where the title sequence would appear with swelling music**

(You can call yourself a legitimate Merlin fan if you know what I'm talking about…)

I would love any feedback!


	2. Chapter 2

Merlin heard the Prince stop in his tracks, "The red death? Are you sure?"

"There was an epidemic in my village five years ago. I know what it looks like" Merlin replied. He knelt down to the girl and felt her forehead, "She doesn't have a fever yet, we might have caught it just in time"

"Caught what? You're not suggesting that there is actually a cure for it?"

"I'm alive, aren't I?" Countered Merlin.

Arthur shook his head, "It is honestly a miracle that you are alive Merlin and I understand you wanting to help her, but we don't know where we are. Even if we did, we can't bring her into Camelot. What if the sickness spread?"

"There has to be some way. Look, why don't you ride ahead? Just head East and keep heading East, even if you have to leave the path. I'll follow behind with the girl and if you find help, send it."

"Well, I don't think we have any other options. Good luck Merlin." Arthur swung back onto his horse and galloped away in what Merlin prayed was the right direction.

Merlin looked at his new charge. She was a tall, slender woman with brown hair. Her dress was covered in mud and she looked like she had been sleeping on the ground for several days. As he lifted her into his arms she moaned in pain and clutched his shirt.

"It's alright. My name is Merlin and I'm going to try help you. Don't be afraid" He had no idea if she could hear him.

Merlin used magic to get them both on the horse, cradled the girl in his arms and set off in the same direction as Arthur. Hopefully, help would come.

Darkness began to settle in. A cool wind whistled through the trees. Merlin realized that it was probably no longer safe to continue forward. He noticed a large tree with above ground roots that would provide a small amount of shelter and slipped off the horse with the strange girl still in his arms. Using magic he started a small fire and did his best to make his ward comfortable. _What would Gaius do?_ He wondered. His mentor would try to relieve the pain from the rash of course, but Merlin had no idea what to do. He had no supplies and no real knowledge of medicine.

He felt her forehead again. It was now extremely hot. Forcing himself not to panic, Merlin quickly found a spare cloth, wet it, and placed it on the girl's brow. He chanted a simple spell that would keep the towel cool and damp throughout the night. Hopefully it would alleviate her temperature.

Grabbing his canteen, Merlin gently lifted the girl's head and poured some water in her mouth. Unexpectedly, the liquid revived her. Merlin was startled as dark green feverish eyes suddenly blazed up at him.

The girl grabbed Merlin's red kerchief, "Who… where…" she gasped.

"Don't worry, you're safe. My name is Merlin and I found you in the woods not far from here. You're very sick but I'm going to try to get some help for you."

She didn't seem comforted by his words and began to struggle to sit up, "Get… off…stay away!"

"No, it's alright! Just lie down, let me help you!" Merlin wrapped his arm around the girl's shoulders and gently lowered her into his lap. Her head finally relaxed against his chest. Her eyes locked with Merlin's again, "I'm…" she struggled to get the words out, "…Jenden.

The next morning was bitterly cold. Merlin worked quickly to clean up camp so that he and the girl could be on their way. He had just finished when she suddenly sat up. Merlin rushed to her side.

"How do you feel? Are you hungry?" He asked, feeling her forehead. To his astonishment the fever was gone.

"Actually I'm starving," Jenden shyly responded. "I haven't eaten for days. Would you be willing… that is… could I have something to eat?"

Merlin smiled, "Of course. I'm Merlin by the way…" he handed her some bread and dried meat, "…and here is some water too. But I don't understand, how are you better already? When I had the red death I was sick for days and I nearly died. But you… you were burning with fever last night and now you're perfectly fine."

"The red death? I don't have the red death!"

"You don't? But your face, the rash…" Merlin reached toward Jenden's face but she turned away.

"A few days ago I came into the forest to… pick some berries and… a tree branch cracked above me and fell on my head. It must have knocked me unconscious and I must have scrapped my face when I fell." She did not meet Merlin's eyes as she spoke.

"What village are you from? Where does you're family live? You're alright now so if you want I can take you home."

A dark look crossed Jenden's face, "That is not possible. I have no home and my mother and father are dead. I've been working as a maid for the past several years for the Duke of Westlor. But I would rather not go back there…"

It was then that Merlin finally got a better look at the side of Jenden's face. What he saw nearly broke his heart.

The mark on the left side of her face was not a rash, but neither was it a scrape that she had received from falling, it was a large bruise in the shape of a hand. Overnight it had turned a sick purple and blue.

"You were beaten." Merlin whispered.

"Yes, I was" Jenden replied, "But I won't cry about it! It's over and done and I'm never going back there again."

Merlin paused. He though about asking who had beat her, but instead asked, "Where will you go?"

"I don't know yet. I have no money and no food. All I know is that I want to go East, as far away from the Duke as possible."

The idea came to Merlin instantly, "Come with me back to Camelot! I work for Prince Arthur and I know I could find you a job at the castle. You'll be safe and very far away from you're the Duke of Westlor."

Jenden hesitated, "I've never been to Camelot. I've heard stories about it all my life but I never dreamed that I'd be lucky enough to live there."

Merlin smiled, "Well now is your chance."

"Alright, Merlin. Let's go!"

And moments later they were both on the horse, on their way to Camelot.

Feedback would be lovely!


	3. Chapter 3

They had covered a great deal of ground when the sun began to sink behind the tall mountains in the distance. Merlin slowed the horse and began to look around for a good place to camp out.

"There!" Jenden pointed to a small clearing near a creek. They would be able to wash and refill Merlin's canteen.

Merlin slipped of the horse, turned and was about to help lift Jenden down from the horse when he realized she was already off and gathering wood for a fire.

"Do you have any flint?" She asked.

Merlin thought quickly. The truth was he had sent the rocks with Arthur because he could use magic, but he couldn't very well do that in front of Jenden. "Go gather some larger branches and I'll get the fire started" He replied.

Jenden shrugged, turned, and walked away. Merlin pulled the food and bedroll off the horse, set the fire ablaze and led the horse to the water so it could drink. Merlin washed his face and took a drink as well and then tied the horse to a nearby tree. The horse promptly started to nibble on some grass.

When Merlin returned to their campsite he noticed Jenden had gathered berries a long with more wood. She offered them to Merlin.

"I'm going to wash in the creek. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Wait," Merlin stopped her and held out a blanket, "You can use this to dry off"

When she reached the water's edge, Jenden immediately stripped her filthy dress and stepped into the creek. It was cold, but cold was much better than remaining dirty. After washing the mud from her hair she walked out of the water and began to dry off. A quick glance at her dress made it painfully obvious that it need to be washed as well. Jenden cleaned the garment and wrung as much water out of it as she could, but it was still soaking wet. If she spent the night in the dress she would definitely catch a cold.

Jenden walked shyly back to camp, the blanket clutched around her tightly.

"Merlin? Could you help me dry this?"

Merlin turned and blushed. The blanket was very large and completely covered Jenden, but it couldn't hide the fact that beneath it she wore nothing. He tried to cover his embarrassment.

"Of course. Bring it here, close to the fire, it will be dry in no time."

She shivered, "Thank you"

"You're cold! It's your hair. It's dripping wet still."

"Well I would wring it out more and braid it but I don't want to let go of the blanket" Jenden laughed at the situation. "I trust you Merlin, but not that much"

Merlin also laughed, "What if I braid your hair?"

"Alright… do you know how" Jenden smiled.

"Well, how hard could it be?"

They both nervously laughed again and took a seat near the fire. Merlin ran his hands through Jenden's long wet hair. Ever so softly he said a spell that would help her hair dry faster. He continued to run his fingers through the strands, gently untangling knots and snags.

"Okay, I'm ready to braid, what do I do first?"

Jenden talked him through the steps and after a couple false starts he got the hang of it. Soon a thick braid hung down to the middle of her back. Merlin tied the end with a small piece of string and leaned back to admire his handiwork.

"Not bad! I think I could even rival the job Gwen does on… what is that?"

"What?" Jenden turned around to face Merlin in alarm.

"No, your shoulder, what's that on your shoulder?" The blanket had slipped a bit as Jenden had been sitting in front of Merlin and what he now saw were dark bruises on her right shoulder and leading down her back where the blanket still covered them.

"It's not just your face! Where did he hurt you?"

"It's fine Merlin! It's just my face and my back," she pulled the blanket more snuggly around herself. "Forget about it. There's nothing you can do about it so just… just forget about it!"

"You're wrong, I have some salve that will help dull the ache and make the bruises fade faster. If you want I can help you…"

Jenden was quiet for a moment and then answered, "Alright, the sooner these bruises are gone the sooner I can forget all about the Duke.

Merlin rummaged through his bag and pulled out a bottle of salve Gaius had insisted that he bring. He walked back to Jenden and sat in front of her.

"At the castle I also work for the court physician, Gaius. He is an amazing man, almost like a father to me. He made this." Merlin uncorked the bottle and poured some salve onto his hand, "May I?" he asked, gesturing to her face. She nodded and closed her eyes.

Gently, Merlin applied it to her face.

"It smells lovely," she remarked, "like lavender"

"You'll have to mention that to Gaius when you meet him" Merlin continued to apply the salve. Jenden's eyes were still closed so he got the chance to study her face as he worked.

She had a slender face framed with pleasantly curved brows, a long straight nose, and lips that turned up in the corners. Her mouth looked to be smiling even when it was closed.

"I've finished with your face. Do you want me to apply this to you back?"

Jenden opened her eyes and silently nodded. Merlin moved around until he was sitting behind her.

"I'll only move the blanket from the spot I'm working on," he told her. She nodded again and moved her braid out of the way.

Nervously Merlin pulled the blanket down and began to work.

After a bit Jenden overcame her shyness and began to talk to Merlin about her past.

"I worked for the Duke for three years, ever since I was seventeen," she began. "In the beginning I was so grateful to him. My parents had just died and I needed a job. At first I was a cook's helper. The other women in the kitchen were so kind to me. A few of them were even from my village and had known my parents. But after a few months, for seemingly no reason, I was promoted to a maid," Jenden laughed darkly, "Although I was paid more it was certainly not the promotion I had expected. I worked primarily in the wing where the Duke's son, Garish, lived. I soon learned that Garish had fallen in love with a girl that the Duke did not approve of, so the Duke had gotten into the practice of making all the halfway decent looking girls in the household work near his son in the hopes that one of us would distract him from his love. I got lucky, the Duke's son had no interest in me, but he did become very interested in one of my friends, Mary.

Mary would spend all day everyday thinking of ways to evade Garish. Sometimes she would stay up all night in fear that he would burst into our quarters and force her to go with him. Then one day Mary disappeared. None of the other maids knew where she had gone. We all suspected that Garish and the Duke had something to do with it but we had no proof.

I was so stupid. I was so upset about Mary that I burst into the Duke's chambers and screamed at him. I called him a murderer and I demanded to know what had happened to Mary. He slapped me across the face, called in his guards, who beat me, and then had me thrown out of the house… and I guess you know the rest."

Merlin finished applying the salve and pulled the blanket back around her shoulders, "I'm so sorry,"

"Thank you, Merlin."

They both sat there by the fire for a while. Finally Merlin broke the silence, "I think your dress is dry"

Jenden stood and knelt over her dress to test how damp it was

"I'll turn around so you can change," added Merlin. A few moments later he heard a sigh of relief.

"It feels so much better to be clean and in dry clothes"

Merlin nodded and gestured at the food he had pulled out of his bag. "It's not much. If we were with Arthur he would have caught us a rabbit"

Jenden smiled, "I've never really liked rabbit"

After they finished eating Merlin set up two blankets near the fire. Jenden wrapped herself in one of them, lay down and said, "Merlin you've told me nothing about yourself. Why did you go to Camelot?"

"Well," Merlin began, "I just didn't belong in my village anymore"

"Did you feel suffocated?"

"In a way, I guess. It was very hard to leave the only people I had ever known, but I had to. I had to try somewhere different and figure out where exactly I belonged."

"How did you end up as Prince Arthur's servant?"

Merlin laughed, "That is a long and interesting story…" As Merlin explained the different adventures that had brought him to this very moment he relaxed. For the first time in months he felt like he was being completely natural. Although it was true he couldn't reveal his powers to Jenden, he couldn't help believing that he could completely trust Jenden. So he decided to open up to her. He decided to tell her about the most painful thing that had ever happened to him. He told her about Freya.


	4. Chapter 4

As Merlin spoke about the girl he had loved and lost, Jenden began to see a change in him. His eyes saddened, his voice softened and whenever Merlin spoke of King Uther a look of anger would flash across his face.

He described how he had met Freya, she had been the prisoner of a bounty hunter and Merlin had rescued her from a disgusting cage and hidden her in Camelot.

In the days that followed, Merlin had fallen head over heals for the beautiful druid and together they made plans to escape Camelot and start a new life together somewhere far away.

But then, tragedy struck. It turned out that Freya had been the victim of a horrible curse many years ago. Every night she was doomed to turn into a bloodthirsty beast and kill. Freya had been too ashamed to tell Merlin the truth about her curse, so the night they were supposed to run away she revealed herself to the castle guards, transformed into the beast, and was mortally wounded by Prince Arthur.

The morning after, Merlin found Freya bleeding heavily. He took her to the forest and as she died Freya promised Merlin that one day she would repay him for his kindness.

When he finished speaking, Merlin stood and walked away towards the water. Jenden let him have a moment before she walked toward him.

"She must have loved you very much."

"What do you mean?" Merlin quietly asked.

"Freya could have easily left Camelot with you. She could have decided to keep her curse a secret, but she knew that you belonged in Camelot. She must have known that the two of you could never have led a normal life together. She sacrificed herself for you."

"I know"

"You have a good heart Merlin," said Jenden, "I've only known you a day and I can already tell. You will find someone else. It may not happen for a while, but eventually you will heal and be able to love someone else."

"How did you get to be so wise?" Merlin lightly joked.

Jenden smiled, "I'm tired, I think I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight, Merlin."

Merlin agreed that it was late and also headed towards his bedroll. Before drifting off to sleep he thought about Freya and Jenden. They were alike in many ways. Both had lost their families, both were running away from something, both were extremely beautiful… but Freya had been a druid and therefore had understood Merlin in a way that Jenden never could.

They were only a half-days ride away from Camelot. Merlin was eager to return to the castle and help Jenden settle into her new life.

I'm sorry it's so short! I plan on uploading another chapter sometime today… I was going to make this chapter longer but I thought it needed to end here.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day the two continued on their journey. Jenden became more reserved the closer they got to Camelot.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked.

"Yes. I'm just a bit anxious. I don't know anyone in Camelot, apart from you, and I'm worried I wont be able to find work."

"You don't need to worry about work. I'm certain Arthur will be able to find you a position in the royal household." Assured Merlin.

"Oh, I see…" Jenden replied, but she still didn't seem convinced.

Soon they had reached the edge of the forest. The castle suddenly revealed itself and Jenden took in a sharp breath of admiration. She clutched Merlin tightly around the waist from where she sat behind him on horseback.

Merlin chuckled, "Don't worry, I'm not going to abandon you until I know you're settled!"

Both dismounted when they entered the courtyard. Arthur, at the sight of his servant, came quickly down the stone steps.

"Merlin! What took you so long? I tried to send help several days ago but my father forbid it. He said that he didn't want to risk spreading the sickness. What happened?"

"Sire, everything is fine. It turns out that she didn't have the red death."

Arthur finally noticed Jenden, "But I don't understand, what about the rash… then Arthur noticed the faded bruise on Jenden's face, "Oh… I see…" he fumbled.

Quickly Jenden curtsied, "My lord, thank you for trying to send help on my behalf. I am extremely grateful you put yourself through so much trouble." She sent a quick look to Merlin and continued, "If it's not too much to ask, I would like to request a position in the royal household. I have experience and I am both a hard worker and fast learner."

"I'm sure we can find you a position as a maid or cook's helper," replied Arthur, surprised at her forwardness.

Jenden curtsied again, "Actually my lord, if at all possible, I would like a position with the court physician. My father was a doctor and I am extremely knowledgeable about healing. I believe I would be an asset to the kingdom if you allow me to refine my skills."

Arthur was momentarily at a loss for words, as was Merlin. Arthur regained his composure first.

"Our court physician already has a helper, but if what you say is true you would be better suited for the job than he is. I cannot replace Merlin with you immediately, but I will do this. You may work for Gaius for one week. A the end of the week I will leave it up to Gaius to decide if you are talented enough to become his apprentice."

"Thank you Sire," Jenden replied, "I will not let you down."

"Of course," replied Arthur, his mind had already moved on to more important things. "Come Merlin, you've been gone a while and I have a lot of chores for you to do."

As he walked away, Merlin stared at Jenden; the surprised look had still not left his face. Finally he smiled, shrugged his shoulders and mouthed, "Good luck!"

Jenden was left alone in the middle of the courtyard. She had no idea where to find Gaius. She looked around. It seemed to be market day and people were milling around from stand to stand buying food and trinkets. Jenden approached a stall where a kindly looking woman was selling apples.

"Excuse me Ma'am. I'm new to town and I was wondering if you knew how to find Gaius, the court physician?"

The woman smiled, "I do. Go through that door," she pointed to a small door at the far left of the courtyard, "Go all the way down the corridor and there will be a sign telling you where to go from there."

Jenden thanked the woman for her trouble and was about to walk away when the woman called her back.

"Here, take an apple. Welcome to Camelot by the way! I'm Gerta. If you ever need any help ask around and someone will know where I can be found."

"It's lovely to meet you Gerta, I'm Jenden and I'm hopping to be apprenticed to the court physician very soon."

Gerta smiled and nodded, "Gaius is a good man. You work hard for him, you hear?"

"I will. Thank you again for the apple." Jenden turned and headed through the rest of the market toward the door Gerta had pointed out.

She munched on her apple and looked about. Everyone seemed so friendly here. She could see people haggling over a prices throughout the market, but they did it so good-naturedly. It was so different from Westlor…

Jenden was forced to stop reminiscing when she reached the door of Gaius' chambers. She knocked hesitantly and opened the door when she heard a voice call out, "Enter!"

Jenden stepped into the chamber and was instantly reminded of the room in her old house where her father had seen patients. It smelled the same, like herbs, ointments, and dusty books.

An older man with white shoulder length hair turned and said, "Well, how can I help you?"

"Forgive me sir," Jenden dropped a curtsy, "I was sent here by Prince Arthur. He requests that you allow me to be your apprentice for one week. At the end of the week it is up to you to decide if you wish to keep me on."

"Who are you?" Gaius kindly inquired, looking over the tops of his glasses at her.

"My name is Jenden. Merlin brought me to Camelot. He and Arthur found me in the woods of Westlor. Because my father was also a physician I asked to be your helper."

"I have no need of another assistant. Merlin already does everything that I need." Replied Gaius, tilting his head to the side and considering the girl.

"I understand that sir. I just ask that you give me a week to prove myself to you."

"Very well," Gaius shrugged, " You may begin by crushing some Erroot for Sir Thompman. He has a headache and I'm working on a poultice."

Jenden hesitated and then spoke, "Forgive me sir, but wont Erroot give him a terrible rash? As far as I know it has no ability to relieve headaches."

Gaius smiled, "You are quite right! That was just a little test to see how knowledgeable you are. Please call me Gaius… by the way, if I were making a poultice for a headache, what would you recommend?"

"Anderoot and Licorice."

"Excellent! Yes, I think this is going to work out quite well…" Gaius turned to pull something down from a high shelf. As he did, the sleeve of his tunic knocked a small bottle of tonic off the table.

"Oh, blast!" Gaius exclaimed in frustration, but he spoke too soon. Instead of crashing to the ground and shattering, the bottle froze millimeters from the floor then zoomed up and replaced itself on the table in the exact spot it had been sitting.

Gaius turned and stared at a terrified Jenden, "You have magic!"


	6. Chapter 6

Jenden stared back at Gaius. "What? No I don't!"

"How do you explain that bottle? Are you saying it flew through the air all by itself? Don't lie to me, girl!"

Jenden's eyes began to fill with tears, "I'm so sorry! I've been suppressing my magic for almost a week. When I saw the bottle fall it was impossible to stop myself from helping."

Gaius gave her a weary look, "Does Merlin know?"

"That I have magic? No! Like I said, I've been suppressing it. I know the risks of being a person with magic in Camelot."

"Then what on earth possessed you to come here?" Asked Gaius, shaking his head, "You could not have chosen a more dangerous place to work in."

"That's not necessarily true, sir."

Gaius took a deep breath and rooted Jenden to the spot with a piercing gaze. "Tell me why you are here."

Jenden quickly wiped the tears from her face, "You wont believe it if I tell you."

"Try me."

"It's Merlin. I can't explain it, but there is something that attracts me to him. Not in a romantic way though!" She quickly added as Gaius smiled knowingly.

"You're telling me that you risked your life to follow a boy to Camelot just because of a strange feeling?"

"It sounds ridiculous when you put it that way, I know, but there is something different about Merlin and I can't put my finger on it."

"Well I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually," sighed Gaius. In the off chance that Jenden was an evil sorceress in disguise, he wasn't going to reveal Merlin's secret.

"So you wont tell anyone about my magic?" asked Jenden.

"No, but other people aren't going to be so understanding. Be careful."

Jenden nodded, "Of course, sir." She smiled hesitantly, "Is there anything I could do for you?"

"First go down to the castle seamstress and get some work clothes, then come back here and I will have some errands for you to run before dinner."

"Thank you, I will be back soon!" After getting directions from a nearby guard Jenden made her way through the castle.

Back in his chambers, Gaius was shaking his head. How on earth had he managed to become mentor to two young, illegal sorcerers?

Jenden entered the seamstress' room and saw several young women sitting at looms chatting and weaving. A few others were seated by the windows with cloth in their laps, each slipping a small needle in and out of the fabric with ease. The room was bright and airy and Jenden felt more cheerful the second she stepped in.

"Hello luv" drawled a heavyset woman, "Do you need something?"

"Um, yes." Replied Jenden, "I've just become the court physician's apprentice and I was sent here to get some new work clothes."

"Ah, yes. What you're wearing won't do at all, will it? Come on over here and let us have a look at you. I think we have a few dresses already made that'll fit you well enough."

The head seamstress pulled Jenden to the back of the room where there were privacy screens, and chests full of garments. Jenden looked longingly at a beautiful deep blue dress embroidered with gold thread.

"That'll be for the Lady Morgana, luv. If she ever comes back, that is. No use in coveting something that can't be yours!"

Jenden smiled in response and looked at the dresses that had been handed to her. The quality of the fabric and the sewing was good. The dresses would last her a while. The seamstress handed her a few undergarments, a shawl, and a cloak and said, "Off with you now! I have work to do."

"Thank you, I'm Jenden by the way."

"And I'm Herra, I'm sure we'll see you about the castle."

Jenden returned to Gauis' room with her load.

"You can change in Merlin's room," Gaius pointed, "I haven't figured out where you're going to sleep yet. The three of us will think of something later tonight. Oh, I apologize in advance about the mess" Gaius added. "Tidiness is not one of Merlin's virtues."

Jenden entered Merlin's room and smiled. There were clothes strewn everywhere and several books lying about, opened to random pages.

She changed into one of her new dresses. It was a plain muslin gown that fastened in front. She pulled a brown shawl around her shoulders, re-braided her hair and fastened it into a bun.

Gaius smiled when Jenden re-entered the room, "Much better. Here's a chest you can use for the rest of your clothing. Are you ready for some work?"

Jenden nodded.

"Good. Take this to Prince Arthur. He injured his arm during training this morning and it'll help with the pain. It needs to be rubbed into his entire shoulder."

"Where will I find Arthur?"

"Probably in his chambers. If he isn't there, find Merlin and he will know where the Prince is."

Jenden took the small bottle and headed to the other side of the castle where the royal family lived.

After several minutes of searching, Jenden had still not found Arthur's room. She was beginning to get frustrated when she spotted a small maid with dark curly hair.

"Excuse me! Please, I'm looking for Prince Arthur's room."

"Why do you need to find it?" asked the maid suspiciously.

"My name is Jenden and I'm working for Gaius. He told me to deliver this," she said, holding up the vial.

"Oh! Sorry, can't be too careful, you know. Bad people are about… not that you're a bad person, but you know…" the flustered maid shook her head, "I'm Guinevere. I used to be Lady Morgana's maid, but now I mostly help out in the kitchens… Sorry, I'm rambling, Arthur's room is the last door on the right," she said, pointing down the hall, "You probably would have found it soon enough!"

Jenden laughed, "Probably not, actually!"

Guinevere smiled, "The castle can be a bit confusing, I can show you around later, if you want. Or, I don't know if Merlin already has… you have met Merlin, right?"

"I know Merlin, but a tour would be lovely. Perhaps sometime tomorrow?"

"Alright! Well, we both better get back to work. Oh! Call me Gwen, if you like… my friends do…"

"I'll see you tomorrow, Gwen!" and with a parting wave, Jenden walked down the hall and knocked on the Prince's door, happy to have made a new friend.

I cannot believe how fast I'm writing these! As always, any feedback would be greatly appreciated!


	7. Chapter 7

Jenden quickly walked back toward Gaius' chambers. When she entered, the smell of roasting chicken greeted her.

"We thought we'd have something special to celebrate your first day in Camelot," said Gaius.

"Thank you, it looks wonderful." Jenden sat at the small wooden table and was offered bread by Merlin.

"How was your first day, then?" he asked.

"I met a lot of people. Do you know the maid Gwen? She was quite nice to me and offered to show me around tomorrow."

Merlin smiled and nodded, "Yeah, Gwen's a friend of mine. The two of you will get along great. She's been a bit lonely ever since Morgana disappeared."

"I heard about that twice today, what happened?"

Gaius interrupted, "Less talking! Our dinner is getting cold!"

When they had all finished eating, Gaius spoke again, "There is a small matter that we need to deal with. Where are you going to sleep?"

"The ground is fine for tonight, I can find other arrangements tomorrow…"

"No," Merlin interrupted, "You can take my bed."

"Oh, that's alright Merlin…" Jenden started, remembering the mess.

"But I cleaned it especially!"

"You did?" Jenden was skeptical.

"No," Merlin laughed, "But it is better than sleeping on the floor."

"I really don't want to put you out of your room…"

"It's not a big deal," Merlin explained, "I'm supposed to be on duty tonight for Arthur anyway. I wasn't planning on getting much sleep."

"Well, if you're sure…"

"Yes." Merlin replied, and it was settled.

A few hours later, Jenden had finished helping Gaius prepare all of the medicine that was to be delivered the following day.

"I cannot remember the last time I was so far ahead of schedule," remarked Gaius. "Usually with this one," he jerked a thumb at Merlin, who was nodding off in a nearby chair, "I fall way behind."

Jenden bade Gauis goodnight and took a bowl of warm water to Merlin's room, her room for the night. She was surprised to see that Merlin had tidied up a bit. All of the clothes had been put away but there were still several books on Merlin's bed. As Jenden went to move them, one of the books caught her attention. It was old and had two metal clasps that kept it closed. Curious about Merlin's reading habits, she released the clasps and flipped open to a random page.

Jenden dropped the book the second she saw what was written. It clattered to the floor and she stared at it in shock. What was Merlin doing with a book of Magic?


	8. Chapter 8

Jenden sat on the bed and thought hard. The least implicating thing that could explain why Merlin had this book was Freya. She had been magical; perhaps the book had belonged to her. This explanation didn't sit well with Jenden. Freya had been a Druid and Jenden was pretty certain that Druids didn't carry around books of spells. First of all they didn't need them and second of all it was dangerous to carry around magical paraphernalia in Camelot.

The other obvious explanation was of course Merlin. It was possible, although unlikely, that the book belonged to him. But if Merlin was a sorcerer, Gauis would undoubtedly know about it. When they had spoken earlier, Gauis hadn't mentioned anything about other people with special powers in Camelot.

This didn't necessarily mean that Merlin didn't have magic; it just meant that Gaius didn't trust her.

Jenden made a decision. She grabbed the book and walked out of the small room. Merlin had just been about to leave.

"Wait," Jenden stopped him, "I want to speak to both of you about something,"

Both men looked at the book she was holding. Neither said a word but Merlin's face revealed everything.

"Why didn't you tell me that he had magic too?" Jenden quietly asked Gaius.

"Too? What do you mean? Are you a witch?" asked Merlin.

"Let's all calm down and sit," Gaius suggested.

Jenden dropped the book on the table and plopped onto the wooden bench.

Merlin joined her and asked, "Why didn't you tell me you had magic?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you had magic? She countered.

"Because I didn't know if I could trust you," Merlin explained.

"Well I didn't know if I could trust you either."

Gaius interrupted, "Merlin, careful. We still don't know that much about her."

"What do you want to know?" Jenden exploded angrily, "I've had magical abilities since I was a child! My parents didn't want to send me away to the Druids so they did everything in their power to keep my gift hidden. When I was thirteen my father took the blame for a magical accident that I committed and the Duke of Westlor had him executed. My mother and siblings died a few years later from a sickness that I couldn't catch because I had magic. Then I went to go work for the Duke." Jenden finished speaking walked out of the room, her body shaking with emotion.

"You should probably go after her," said Gaius. He spoke to an empty room. Merlin was already out the door.

"Jenden, wait!"

Jenden continued to walk away, her pace quickened. "I really don't feel like explaining myself anymore tonight."

"That's not what I was going to ask. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Okay? I appreciate the concern Merlin, but I'm not okay. I don't even know what I'm doing here."

Merlin finally caught up to Jenden. He was slightly out of breath. "Can we sit somewhere and talk about this?"

"Fine."

Merlin took her arm, "I know the perfect place. Come with me."

He led her through the castle. It didn't take long for Jenden to feel completely lost. After a long climb up a narrow stone spiral staircase, the pair emerged into the clear night air. They were standing at the top of one of the castle's turrets.

"Are we allowed up here?"

Merlin laughed, "I've never asked."

Jenden leaned over the edge and gazed at the lower town, "It's beautiful up here. Everything seems so much simpler when it's in miniature."

"So you have magic."

"Yes."

"I just don't understand. Why would you go work for the Duke after he killed your father?"

"I had nowhere else to go."

For a while, neither spoke, then Merlin tried again, "It's not your fault, your father's death, I mean."

"I never said I blamed myself!"

"You didn't have to. I know how it feels, believe me. I've lost a father too, and many friends."

"I don't want to talk about my father."

Merlin fell silent again but his mind was racing. Memories of Freya kept surfacing and it was all he could do to remind himself that Jenden and Freya were not the same.

Merlin grew curious of Jenden's powers. What kind of magic did she have? Did she use it for good? Was she more powerful than he was?

"Jenden. Show me something… with your magic, I mean."

Jenden looked at Merlin and smiled, "I thought we were supposed to keep it secret and do as little magic as possible."

"If Gaius had any idea of how much I really use my powers he would kill me. But go on! No one can see us up here."

"Alright then," Jenden brought her palms together, scrunched her eyes for a second and opened her hands, revealing the most beautiful butterfly Merlin had ever seen. It flapped its wings a few times as if to show off the magnificent blues and greens that emanated from its small form.

"That's incredible! I never… " He was interrupted by a loud shout.

"Merlin! Where the hell have you got to?"

"Arthur! I forgot I was supposed to work tonight! Jenden, I'm so sorry but we have to go."

Jenden closed her palms and the butterfly disappeared, "It's fine Merlin. It's getting late, I should head back."

She turned to leave but was stopped when Merlin grabbed her arm, "Wait. Are we alright?" He gestured between the two of them, "What I mean to say is, are we friends?"

"Of course, Merlin. Thank you for bringing me here. It was exactly what I needed." Jenden gave him a quick, one-armed hug, and scurried down the stairs.

Merlin took one last look at the night sky before heading down the turret himself. He didn't know what to make of Jenden anymore. At first she had just seemed like a girl who had gotten into a bit of trouble, but now that he knew she had magic everything was different. Most people with magic came to Camelot to undermine the King. Merlin was going to have to watch Jenden very carefully before he gave her his complete trust.

If you have any feedback I would totally welcome and appreciate it!


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning Jenden woke to the sound of Merlin and Gaius talking in the main room.

"Gaius, I think this is all going to work for the best. If Jenden becomes your assistant permanently then I will be able to spend more time practicing magic."

"Practicing magic? Are you insane? Do you want to be thrown in jail and publicly executed?"

"No, Gaius, you don't understand. I have the perfect place to do it. Beneath the castle where the dragon used to live! No one will catch me there."

"Well," Gaius sighed wearily, "I'm certainly not going to give you my permission, but I can't stop you. You must do what you think is best Merlin."

"I promise I'll be careful Gaius,"

Jenden jumped in surprise when the bedroom door suddenly swung open and Merlin stepped into the room.

"Good morning, Jenden. I brought up some breakfast from the kitchens. You'll want to eat quickly and get started on your morning deliveries soon. Gaius has a lot of chores for you…" Merlin paused and looked around the noticeably cleaner room. "Did you tidy up in here?"

"Yes, Merlin. It certainly needed it and it was the least I could do for kicking you out of your room last night."

"Oh, well… thanks," Merlin mumbled, exiting the room in a somewhat embarrassed fashion.

Jenden shook her head in amusement and quickly washed and dressed.

"Good morning Gaius," said Jenden, taking a piece of freshly baked bread from the basket on the table and sitting down. "Merlin mentioned something about morning deliveries?"

"Yes, quite. There are a few potions that have to be taken in the morning. You'll need to deliver this one," he indicated a small glass jar containing a dark brown liquid, "to King Uther. This one goes to Sir Galahad, and the rest go to the apothecary in the lower town. He'll know what to do with them. I don't think I need to tell you that you should deliver Uther's first?"

"No, of course not!"

"Good, now get going and come back straightaway. I am going to need your help visiting the sick this afternoon."

Jenden nodded her consent, collected the bottles and was on her way. As she neared the King's quarters she began to feel a bit nervous. She knew it was ridiculous to fear that Uther would be able to spot her as a witch just by looking at her, but she couldn't help it. When Jenden reached the chamber door she took a deep breath to steady herself and knocked firmly.

It was opened instantly and Jenden found herself staring up at the King of Camelot, at a loss for words.

"Well? What is this?" Uther demanded.

Jenden fumbled for a few seconds than dropped into a curtsey, "Please Sire… I mean, excuse me my lord… ummm…" finally she remembered what she was supposed to do, "This is for you. A delivery from Gaius."

"Ah, yes. Of course." Uther took the bottle from Jenden's shaking hand and promptly shut the door in her face. She sighed in relief and turned to continue her deliveries; thankful her first encounter with the king was over.

After asking a nearby guard where Sir Galahad could be found, Jenden made her way to the outside training area. The knights of Camelot were spread out on the field practicing combat. They were all wearing full armor and chainmail and Jenden felt herself sighing in appreciation of the handsome men before her.

A young pageboy was standing to the side. Jenden approached him. "Hello, I have a delivery for Sir Galahad?"

"Yes, miss. I can give it to him if you like."

"No…" Jenden hesitated, "I think I should give it to him in person. It's medication and I want to make sure he gets it."

The boy shrugged and turned back to watch the fighting, his interest in her already lost, "Suit yourself."

Jenden smiled to herself. The boy reminded her so much of her younger brother, John. He too had been obsessed with knights and chivalry. Jenden wondered if it was somehow a blessing that John had died before discovering his dreams of knighthood were impossible. Only the sons of noble families could aspire to that particular honor.

Jenden turned her attention back to the practicing men and instantly found Prince Arthur. He stood out from the rest. Not only was he by far the most skilled fighter, but also his style was quite different than anything she had ever seen. One could almost call him graceful.

A short while later Arthur called a break.

"Which one is Sir Galahad?" Jenden asked the pageboy. He pointed to a tall handsome knight who stood nearby.

"Excuse me, Sir." Jenden bobbed a curtsey, "I have your medicine from Gaius,"

"Thank you… I'm sorry, I don't know your name." Galahad grinned widely at Jenden. "Are you new to Camelot?"

"Um, yes! My name is Jenden. I'm working for Gaius now, as his apprentice."

"And are you well versed in herbs and medicine?"

Jenden was unsure of what he was getting at, "Yes…"

Galahad laughed, "Then you know where I might be able to find some Grayseed?"

Jenden blushed furiously. Grayseed was a well-known plant that, prepared in the right way, acted as an aphrodisiac. "I don't believe Gaius is in the habit of keeping it in his workroom,"

"Ah, I see… well too bad. It was a pleasure to meet you, milady." Galahad finished with a mock bow, winked at Jenden, and then turned back to his comrades.

Jenden shook her head in amusement and quickly left, vowing to not let herself get distracted by Camelot's handsome, flirtatious knights.

I know that nothing super exciting happened in this chapter... but don't worry, something is coming!


	10. Chapter 10

As Jenden weaved her way through the lower town on the way to the apothecary, she couldn't help but be reminded of her home village. The same smells, noises, and sights of fresh meat, a clanging blacksmith's hammer, and giggling children running through the streets, getting underfoot overwhelmed her senses. Her attention was captured by a little girl with stringy blonde hair. She was sitting by the well with her head in her hands, crying.

"There now, what's wrong?" she asked, crouching down to the child's level.

A small, dirty, and tear streaked face looked up at her, "I… I lost my new ribbon. Ma gave it to me yesterday and I already lost it!"

"What color was your ribbon?" asked Jenden, an idea forming in her mind.

"Yellow," the little girl sniffed, rubbing tears out of her eyes.

Jenden slipped her hand into the medicine basket and scrunched her face, pretending to think; "Well it just so happens that I found a beautiful yellow ribbon this morning! I was wondering who lost it…"

The girl gasped in surprise as Jenden pulled out a yellow hair ribbon from beneath the medicine bottles.

"That's it! That's the one I lost! You found it!"

Jenden smiled and handed it over, "Take care and don't lose it again!"

Jenden stood to continue on her way and found her path blocked by a suspicious looking castle guard.

"Come over here, miss. I have a few questions for you."

Jenden's heart raced. How could she have been so stupid? Conjuring the ribbon out of thin air had seemed so harmless, but she had forgotten where she was.

The guard crossed his arms over his chest, "Who are you and what's your business in the lower town?"

Jenden quickly explained her new placement in the royal household. Her palms stated to sweat. She tried to keep her face relaxed and composed. As long as she didn't appear to have anything to hide she would be fine.

"So, explain to me how you produced that ribbon for the little girl? Seems almost as if it was done by, oh, I don't know… magic?" He leered threateningly at Jenden.

"Magic?" Jenden laughed nervously, "Oh no, I found it on the ground…" she gestured vacantly behind her, "Yeah, I found it a little while ago and put in my basket for safe keeping."

"It seemed awful clean to have been found on that muddy ground."

Jenden swallowed and forced herself to remain calm, "I know! Strange, isn't it? That's why I noticed it… in the mud I mean. It stood out on the ground because it was so clean. The little girl must have just dropped it."

The guard narrowed his eyes, "Well what a happy coincidence," he replied sarcastically.

"Yes, well, if that's all, I really have to be going. Errands to run…" Jenden trailed off nervously.

The guard seemed to realize that he had no proof or real reason to detain her and finally relented. "Don't let me catch you doing anything suspicious again. You're new here, but you should already know what King Uther's opinion of magic is,"

"Of course, thank you," Jenden curtsied and dashed down the street towards the apothecary, extremely happy to have avoided being thrown in the dungeons.

The apothecary was surprisingly well lit and airy. The stone floor was swept clean and the curtains were drawn away from the windows to allow sunshine to fill the small room. The man behind the counter was holding two vials up and comparing the contents. When Jenden walked in the door he carefully set both containers on the counter and said, "You'll be Gaius' new apprentice, then?"

"Yes, sir. These are for you. I'm sorry it took me so long to get here. I was momentarily detained by a castle guard."

"Nothing serious, I hope."

"No, sir."

"Very well then, what do you have for me today?"

Jenden pulled out the remaining bottles from her basket and set them on the wooden counter.

"Good!" The apothecary quickly read the labels and stored them on one of the shelves that lined the shop and then pulled out something from a small chest, "Please give this to Gaius. I believe he is expecting it in lieu of payment." He placed the small parcel on the counter. It was wrapped in brown paper and tied with string.

"Thank you sir, I'm sure I'll see you again soon." Jenden slipped the object into her basket, exited the shop, and started walking back towards the castle, curious as to what the small parcel contained.

As always, I would welcome any feedback!


End file.
